Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yikes! · Joined: 15 Oct 2004

Hi,
I used to have this fluent English-speaking teller at my local Shinhan bank branch, but she's out on maternity leave. I need to do some things at the bank and I would like an English-speaking teller to help me. My bank is Shinhan. Does anyone know of a branch where I can find such a teller?

Yikes!

rokgryphon · Joined: 12 Apr 2005

Haven't been to this particular branch in a while but the Itaewon branch in the Hamilton hotel has some English speaking staff.

munji · Joined: 08 Sep 2006 Location: Daejeon

SeoulShakin · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Location: Seoul

I live in Sincheon (the one by Jamsil) and there are two English speaking tellers. One is very confident in his ability to communicate well, and the other gets nervous easily, but is actually good enough to do what I need done. The rest kind of shuffle around nervously until one of the English speaking tellers is free, then they kind of back off until you have no choice but to go to one of them. I'm not sure where you live, or if it is too far away for you or not, but if you want directions, let me know and I'll send them your way.

sock · Joined: 07 Oct 2006

Across from the Yangjae Costco, there is a Hi-Brand-uh/Hi-Family Mall with lots of flags on the top (next to the tall blue Motorola building). In the basement, there is an Emart and a Shinhan bank. (Shinhan is kind of hidden in the back behind the food court.)

There are some English speakers at that branch, although I have to say I've not been impressed with Shinhan's service overall. But, they're there, and they'll help you and be quite polite about it. Won't even stamp your passport when you wire home money.

Good luck.

ilovebdt · Joined: 03 Jun 2005 Location: Nr Seoul

Yikes! · Joined: 15 Oct 2004

Thanks for the replies. I thought of Itaewon, and went there today. There is a teller who was helpful, but I will be needing to do some foreign exchange stuff. The problem is that I have a bunch of money to send and maybe not enough documentation to prove I earned it all -- without going to employers from many years ago and getting more documentation. I wanted to get this all straightened out so I could have all the necessary papers in advance, as I am moving home (yippe for me). It is a bit more complicated than that, actually, but that's the gist of it.

In reply to someone above, yes, I have been hear over 10 years, and my Korean is quite good. Still, I am dismayed at how the "simplest" things can become complicated. I'm sure many of us have had the experience of speaking perfectly understandable (if not "native or "fluent") Korean, only to find that the listener cannot even tell that you are speaking Korea. (Can I get a witness~~?) So I prefer my doctors (for major procedures), lawyers, and bankers to speak English, if possible.

In reply to someone else, yes, I have Korean friends. But I don't really want them in on my banking transactions. It's bad enough the ajumma bank tellers sometimes turn to other customer or tellers and show/tell them how much I have in my account (has happened more than once -- also had a bank manager tell my coworker how much money I was sending home). So I prefer to do it myself... in English ;>

Anyway, I am going to use the Itaewon branch. I went there today and talked about my situation with the English-speaking teller. I am confident all will go smoothly, so I won't even mind using speaking Korean with the foreign exchange teller when I go to do my business.

All clear? LOL Thanks for your help, folks.